First Step Behavioral Services

Provider Referral

Provider Referral | First Step Behavioral Services
For Healthcare Providers

Refer your patients to expert behavioral health care

First Step Behavioral Services provides telehealth-based psychological evaluations and Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) to children and adults across North Carolina — no matter how rural or remote. We make referrals simple and are in touch as soon as possible.

Submit a Referral Who to Refer
85
of NC’s 100 counties served under our rural health grant — telehealth statewide
Fast
response time — we’ll be in touch as soon as possible, typically within one week

Grant-Funded Access: First Step is a recipient of the NC Office of Rural Health Telehealth Infrastructure Grant — referred patients in rural NC may qualify for reduced-cost services and loaner devices based on eligibility.

Learn about our telehealth program →

Free Referral Checklists for Providers

Not sure if your patient is appropriate for telehealth? Download our quick provider checklists to assess suitability before referring — one for ABA services and one for psychological evaluations. Both include a tear-off referral form.

🌱 ABA Referral Checklist Word document · Free download 🧠 Psych Eval Referral Checklist Word document · Free download
Now Available via Telehealth
Expanded Services

New telehealth services now available for your patients

We have significantly expanded our service offerings through telehealth. Your patients can now access comprehensive psychological evaluations and ABA services from home — no commute, no waitlists for local specialists, no technology barriers. We provide the devices and connectivity when needed.

Telehealth is especially valuable for your rural patients who have historically had limited access to behavioral health specialty care. A referral from you may be the first step toward a diagnosis and treatment plan they have been waiting years to access.

View full telehealth services overview →
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Telehealth Psychological Evaluations
ASD, ADHD, cognitive, psychoeducational, learning disability.
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Telehealth ABA Services
Caregiver-coached Applied Behavior Analysis for children with ASD, ADHD, developmental delays, and behavioral challenges — including minimally verbal and nonverbal children. FBA, BIP, parent training.
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Device & Connectivity Program
Grant-funded loaner tablets and mobile hotspot devices for qualifying rural families who lack reliable internet. No technology barrier should prevent access to care.
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School & IEP Consultation
Independent Educational Evaluations (IEEs), 504 and IEP documentation, behavior support planning, and school consultation services for children K–12.
Referral Indicators

Which patients should you refer?

You do not need a confirmed diagnosis to refer. Diagnostic clarification is itself a referral indication. Consider First Step for patients who present with any of the following:

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Diagnostic Evaluation Needed

Suspected or confirmed ASD, ADHD, intellectual disability, learning disability, developmental delay, or genetic syndrome with behavioral phenotype.

ASD eval ADHD eval Cognitive testing Psychoeducational
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Behavioral Challenges

Aggression, self-injury, elopement, noncompliance, feeding difficulties, sleep problems, or repetitive behaviors significantly impacting family or school functioning. We also serve minimally verbal and nonverbal children through ABA-based communication programming.

ABA services FBA BIP Parent training
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Adult Evaluations

Adult ASD or ADHD evaluation, cognitive assessment, mental health evaluation.

Adult ASD Adult ADHD Disability docs
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Rural & Underserved Patients

Patients in rural NC counties with limited access to in-person specialty care, transportation barriers, or financial constraints. Grant funding may help with costs for eligible patients.

85 NC counties Medicaid accepted Grant-eligible
Referral Process

Simple and fast to refer

Our referral process is designed to be as easy as possible for busy clinical teams.

1

Complete the form

Fill out the referral form below with patient and provider details. Takes under 3 minutes.

2

We contact the patient

First Step reaches out to the patient or guardian as soon as possible to schedule an intake call — typically within one week.

3

Intake & tech setup

We confirm services, insurance, and technology access. Loaner devices arranged if needed.

4

Services begin

Evaluation or ABA sessions begin via secure telehealth. Reports sent to referring provider with consent.

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Fax
(919) 924-0299
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Response Time
We’ll be in touch as soon as possible — typically within one week
Call to refer directly
Submit a Referral

Refer a patient online

What to have ready

Patient name and date of birth
Patient contact information
Your practice name and contact
Primary reason for referral
Insurance / Medicaid ID (if known)

Services available via telehealth

ASD evaluation — child & adult
ADHD comprehensive evaluation
Cognitive / psychoeducational eval
Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)
Functional Behavior Assessment
Parent & caregiver coaching
School consultation (IEP / 504 support)
✅ We’ll be in touch as soon as possible — typically within one week of receiving your referral

Patient Referral Form

Completed by referring provider or care coordinator

HIPAA Notice: Information submitted through this form is encrypted and transmitted securely. A Release of Information will be obtained from the patient prior to any return communication with your office.
Provider Address

Patient / Client Contact

Name
Date of Birth
Patient / Client Address